Base-ball bat.



J. R. DEAN.

BASE BALL BAT.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 31, 1910.

Patented Dec.20, 1910.

thereon; to be a full, clear, and exact description of a base-ball bathaving its handle inbase-ball ba't' as shown in Fig. 1.

.cork to the handle-end of a base-ball bat.

BASE-BA 979,266. Specification of To all who'm it may. concern;

Be it known that I. Jonx R. DEAN, a citizen of the United States.residing at New Britain. in the county of Hartford andState of'Connecticut. have invented a new and useful Improvement inBase-Ball'Bats; and I do hereby declare the following, when taken inconnection with the accompanying drawings and the letters of referencemarked tion of the same. and which said" drawings constitute part ofthis specification, and represent, lll

'Figure 1 a broken view in side elevacased in a sheet of cork inaccordance with my invention. Fig. 2 abroken view of the developinentofa cork strip designed to be wound spirally upon the handle-end of a Fig.a broken view in side elevation of the handleend of a base-ball bat,showing another way of applying a cork sheath thereto. Fig. at adevelopment of one of the cork sect-ions of Pig. 3. Fig. 5 a broken viewin side elevation .;il()\\ lllg still'another mode of applying Fig. 6 abroken view on an enlarged scale showing the undercutting of the bat forthe protectien of the beveled outer. end of the cork-sheath. Fig. 7 asectional view showing the under-cutting of the inner end of the bat toreceive the beveled inner end of the cork-sheath.

My invention relates to an improvement in base-ball bats, the objectbeing to adapt them to be more easily and firmly gripped and held. andhence to enable them to be i more comfortably and effectively used.

\Vith these ends in view my invention consists in a base-ball bat havingcertain details of construction as will be more fully herei.n-' afterdescribed and pointed out in the claim.

In carrying out my invention as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the handle-end 2of the bat is incased in a sheath of cork formed by winding a strip 3 ofcork spirally upon it. the edges of the. said strip being formed atregularly spaced intervals vitlnconpling lugs 4 and coupling notches 5which. when i the strip 3 is wound upon the handleend eoact to interlockits edges. The said handleend '2 terminates at its inner end in a roundied bead t3 undercut as at? for the reception l of the beveled outer endS of the strip 3, the opposite end of which is formed with a UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE.- f

JOHN-R. DEAN, OF NEW BRITAIN, CONNECTICUT.

LL BAT.

mm mm. Patented Dee.'20, 1910. Application filed August 31, 1910. SerialNo. 579,837.

mgnndercut 10 formed at the point where the handle-end 2 of the b'atmerges into the body 1 1- thereof. It will be I ence to Fig. 7, that.the' handle-end 2 of the bat is reduced n diameter in conformity withthe, thickness of the I tend to secure to the handle'end 2 throughoutthe length thereof, by means of a waterproofeen'ient 3 of ansuitablefcomposition. As shown. also, the liody 11 of the batis formedwith a log 12 entering a notch 13 in the outer end of the cork' 3 toassist; in holding the same against-rotation in case it should by anychance get loose at; this point.

On account-of its yielding character, cork forms a surface at oncecomfortable, and yet providing for the very powerful grip which isnecessary to revent the bat from slipping in the hands. 11 case the corkis allowed to getwet or damp, it readily dries out without anyappreciable loss of its natural quality.

v In the modified construction shown b Figs. 3 and 4 of the drawings, acork sfheat 1 is formed by clasping upon the handle-end it each having acoupling-1ug 15 at oneend for entrance into a correspondingcouplingnotch 16 in its opposite end and having a coupling-lug 17 uponone of-its edges for entrance into a correspondidng coupling notch 18upon its opposite edge. T he' lugs 17 and notches 18 upon the bands 14are shown. as staggered, so that the interlocking lugs will not be inline. The bands 14 will be cemented to the handle-end 2 of the hat by asuitable cement. preferably water-proof in its character. In thisconstruction also the bead 20 at the inner end of the batis formed withan undercut groove 21 for the reception of a bevel 22 formed uponthe-outer" end of the inner band 1- while the body 23 of the bat isformed with an undercut groove for the reception ot? a bevel 25 formedupon the outer end of the outer band 14.

The band 14 last mentioned is" also furnished with :1 lug it; entering anotch 27 in the body 23 to assist in locking the. said band againstrotation.

In the construction shown by Fig. 5 of the drawings. the handle-end 28of the bat is corresponding bevel 9 enterin 8. correspondseen by refer-.

co'rk 3 which I in- 2 of the bat, a series of graduated cork bandsinelostd in a cork-sheath consisting of a long tapering piece. 29 ofcork cut to tit the said handle 28 and having its edges formed withcoupling-lugs 30 and coupling-notches 31,

lwhereby the edges ot the strip are interduced in diameter an providedwih a cork body of the bat, the said cork sheath being locked. The cork29 will be cemented directly to the handle-end 28, and will be' beveledat its ends for their inot'ection atthe points where the sheath joinsthe body 32 of the bat and the head 33 thereof.

1 am' aware that it is old to' use cork, or compositions of cork in theconstruction of handles for tools, fishing; rods; cricket bats, golfclubs, tennis rackets, base ball bats, etc., and do not broadly claimthe use of cork in such situations, but only my particular construction.I

- I claim As a new article of manufacture, a baseball bat having its taering handle-end resheath merging intothe full diameter of the.

sectional in form and having its edges pr0- Jugs and complcmenvided withcouplin tary colipling-notcies, whereby the said edges are interlocked,and the endsof the sheath formed by the cork being beveled to entercircumferential grooves respectively formed in a bead at the extremityof the handle-end of the bat and at the point where the 0p osite end ofthe sheath merges into the ful diameter of the bat.

In testimony whereof, I have signed this i specification in the piesenceof two subscribmg witnesses.

JOHN R. EAN; I Witnesses:

' FREDERICK W. PECK, ARTHUR V. EGINTON.

